But Mr Stevens told NHS England bosses: ‘There was a suggestion that individual CCGs might choose to change the national contract in respect of QOF at the back end of this year in Leeds.

‘Legal advice is clear that that would not be possible. And in fact is not the approach that we are going to be taking given that a lot of practices have said to us that 10 months into the year, messing around with the QOF payments would be very unfair. And wouldn't actually create a lot of extra headroom for the other pressures that they are facing.’

GP crisis

GPC deputy chair and Leeds LMC medical secretary Dr Richard Vautrey said Mr Stevens' comments were 'surprising' given that NHS England previously gave permission for Somerset CCG to suspend the QOF to 'recognise the acute pressures on their practices'.

'It seems that there is one rule for their approach to relaxing routine work done in hospitals and quite another for general practices who are under similar if not greater workload pressures. Suspending QOF won't solve practices' workload pressures but will make a tangible difference and has been widely welcomed by the practices in the areas where it has been suggested. We will look at the legal issues that Simon Stevens raises and consider the implications.'